Erik ten Hag gives view on Jesse Marsch sacking ahead of Man Utd v Leeds

Erik ten Hag has said Jesse Marsch’s sacking as Leeds United manager was harsh and that coaches should be given more time to ‘finish their work’.

The Manchester United boss had been gearing up for a clash with Marsch on Wednesday, but the American’s dismissal on Monday meant he might have to alter his approach for the match.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Ten Hag admitted he’s not entirely sure what to expect from Leeds in the midweek Premier League encounter. Asked if the Yorkshire club could approach the game in a different manner, Ten Hag replied: “Definitely, and you don’t know.

“We have to be aware of that so when Jesse Marsch was in Leeds it was clear how they play, the way of play, the system, the style. Now it’s possible that they change, but it’s also possible they don’t change.

“We will only find out on the pitch tomorrow but we need good anticipation on that, if they change. Better anticipation, for instance than against [Aston] Villa [in November]. The difference with them when [Unai] Emery came in was they [Villa] had longer to prepare and now they [Leeds] don’t have so much time to prepare. We will see, but we need good anticipation and to be proactive.

“It’s always sad if a manager, a colleague, gets sacked,” the United manager added. “In general I don’t believe in it, that you sack a manager and [always] get better results. Most of the time it doesn’t work.

“Let the managers do their work, finish their work and make a good evaluation. Obviously the pressure is high with decision makers at football clubs and they turn. But if you see the stats and facts, most of the time it doesn’t work out well.”

Asked about United’s history against Leeds, Ten Hag said there are similarities with the Red Devils’ rivalries against Manchester City and Liverpool.

“It’s about the match of the Roses, it’s definitely a big game in this part of England,” he opined. “It’s a big game for us. We know we have Man City and Liverpool but for our fans this means so much and our players are aware of that and know what to do.”